As I covered in a recent post, Everest 2021 is coming on soon. There are questions as to whether operators should run their programs at all. Many are moving forward but a few are not. I discuss the situation with Adrian Ballinger, founder of Alpenglow Expeditions who has canceled his expedition from the Tibet side this spring. We also talk about the historic K2 Winter summit.
Nepal delays foreigners, 8000er Summits for the Privileged. Kili Burning. An Icon death, and Winter K2! A round-up of the latest news.
After months of indecision, conflicting information, and false rumors, Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism finally issued rules all foreigners (non-Nepali citizens) must meet as they enter the country, apparently effective October 17, 2020. It includes a 7-day quarantine requirement.
Nepal delays foreigners, 8000er Summits for the Privileged. Kili Burning. An Icon death, and Winter K2! A round-up of the latest news.
Nepal finalized rules for foreigners entering Nepal including they must stay quarantined for 7 days upon arrival. This alone precludes most visitors for 2020.
A well-connected Bahrain military team has been granted an exception to climb the 8000er Manaslu in Nepal this autumn. Meanwhile, summits in Pakistan.
A well-connected Bahrain military team has been granted an exception to climb the 8000er Manaslu in Nepal this autumn. Meanwhile, summits in Pakistan.
A few teams are climbing this summer, including in Pakistan. However, many of the world’s best guides are simply saying it too dangerous, primarily to the locals who might become infected with COVID-19 from visitors. It appears the financial incentives are trumping health considerations.
Nepal announced it will issue trekking and climbing permits for autumn, 2020 but the news is weak on details so I remain cautious.
The hold that COVID-19 has on mountaineering appears to be easing. Viewed another way, some guides are taking more risks, so now it’s up to the clients to make their own decisions. However, it’s easy to hear what you want to hear, so this is a critical period for due diligence.
